


The Cat's Surprise

by CatOfLello



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: OC origin, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-03-06 00:09:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13399221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatOfLello/pseuds/CatOfLello





	The Cat's Surprise

Night was setting in as a cloaked man rode a black mare lazily along the shoreline. The faint flickering of candle lights was dancing in the windows of cottages of a small fishing village in the distance. As he navigated his way towards the village, he observed a small boat sail up to the ramshackle dock up ahead. The rider spurred his horse hoping to see if the catch was plentiful and maybe be able to buy a crab or two and if he was really lucky some fish.

The fisherman had now just finished mooring his boat when the rider reached the end of the shabby dock.

“Catch anything today?” shouted the cloaked rider to the fisherman.

“No, nothin’ today, yesterday or the day before that” the fisherman grumbled busying himself with his nets. “At this rate, we’ll be starving by winter-” the fisherman droned on about his woes but the rider was distracted by his silver medallion gently tugging at its chain. He swiftly dismounted, approaching the dock his attention focused on the water.

He raised his hand to grip the hilt of the sword slung across his back.

The fisherman stumbled backwards as the other man ran towards him so quickly it startled him causing him fall back over the seat of his boat. “Please sir, I have nothing worth stealing!” his eyes were wide with horror.

“Shut up and get on land! Now!” the cloaked man growled. He pulled his sword from its sheath with a hiss. His yellow eyes scanned the water for any movement. Ripples appeared on the surface of the water behind the boat.

“Please... have mercy…”

The cloaked stranger grabbed the cowering fishmonger by his tattered shirt, tossing him onto the dock. A wretched figure emerged from the water snapping it’s ugly maw full of sharp teeth, reaching out to him with a gnarled hand tipped with razor-sharp claws. Silver flashed in the moonlight as the sword sliced through the monster’s neck, blood splattered the cloak of the swordsman. The water continued bubbling as more creatures appeared from the river's depths, reaching for him.  
The horrified fishmonger rose to his feet and ran towards the shore, he was eager to get as far away from the man and the creatures as quickly as possible. He eyed the black mare but before he could reach dry land, a large slimy hand reached from the water grabbing his ankle. He fell hard onto the algae covered dock. Before he could even let out a scream, silver flashed again. He was free but the monster’s severed hand still clung to him.

“Run! Now!”

Not needing to be twice, he ran and hid behind the black mare. Watching the stranger cut down the creatures with such speed and skill that he thought he might be a knight of the king so any thoughts of stealing the mare left his mind, he didn’t want to be beheaded for theft.

Silence fell and the water was red with blood, the air reeked of river muck and decay. After a few moments, the fisherman had regained his composure as the blood-soaked swordsman strolled towards him down the dock. His hood had fallen down during the battle, revealing a scarred face with luminescent yellow eyes.

“Wha-what the hell were those things?”

“Five drowners and a water hag. The usual going rate is 60 crowns” he calmly wiped down the blade of the sword on the leg of his trousers before returning it to its sheath. A silver medallion in the shape of a snarling cat head swung out from under his cloak. The fisherman’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Gods... A witcher!” a sudden sinking in his stomach “I expect you will be wanting payment… I don’t have any coin to give you but maybe we can figure somethin out. My name is Marten, what’s your name master witcher?”

“Aiden.” he pulled a piece of cloth from his saddlebag, wiping his face and armour trying to get the sticky blood off but all it did was smear. “Well, If you have no coin to pay me, give me what you find at home yet don’t expect.”

The fisherman chuckled to himself “that’s quite the bargain master witcher. Won’t find any children I didn’t know I have. My wife… well, we can’t have anymore.”  
Aiden mounted his horse and removed his cloak, slinging it over his saddle bags. “I’ll be happy if there is a warm meal and somewhere for me to dry my boots. Best be on our way Marten.”

**************************************

They approached a well-lit cottage on the very edge of the village, Aiden’s sensitive ears had picked up the sounds of two women shouting and sobbing long before they arrived. When they arrived it was quiet with the exception of scullery being moved about. Marten opened the door and shouted inside to his wife. “Abda! We have company!”

The witcher dismounted from his horse and threw the reins over the empty rack. He heard hushed, hurried voices coming from inside the cottage. There was a short pause before he heard Marten’s voice yelling obscenities while his wife tried to calm him, the sobbing started again. Aiden had a sinking feeling there was going to be no hot food or dry boots for him tonight. He sighed and stepped over the cottage threshold. Abda, a slight woman with dark skin was standing was standing between Marten and a young girl with brown curly hair who was cowering by the hearth. Marten turned around when he heard the witcher enter, his face contorted in rage. He pointed at the girl and shouted

“There! There’s your bloody payment witcher! I’ll have to marry her to some skilliager whoreson now!”

The weeping girl looked up at Aiden with red tearful eyes, he pushed past Marten and Abda and held out his hand to her. His medallion began to hum strongly when she took his hand, he pulled out a chair and sat her down. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her arms. Aiden crouched down next to her still holding her delicate hand and whispered

“It will be alright.”

Marten scoffed “And here I thought witchers were heartless monsters” after a moment of silence

“No, that would be you” the witchers stare was cold and hard, Marten felt as though he could see through him and into his soul. “I will be back in six years to retrieve my payment. If any harm comes to her or the child, you’ll wish the drowners had killed you.”

The brown haired girl began to weep again clutching one hand over her swollen stomach and the other clung tightly to the leather sleeve of the witchers jacket. “Please, sir-”

“You can’t keep the bastard you daft cow!” Marten snarled. Aiden glared at him again “Leave master witcher, you have your payment”

Aiden took his leave and wanted to get away as far as possible from the village. He made camp in the woods far from the village. He sat nibbling on a bit of stale bread and drying his waterlogged boots drying by the fire. He lied down on his back, hands behind his head and stared at the sky thinking over the events of the night. Why had his medallion hummed when he took the girl’s hand?


End file.
